This application relates to a gas turbine engine wherein a nacelle anti-ice valve provides a startup bleed valve function.
Gas turbine engines are known, and typically include a fan delivering air into a bypass duct defined within a nacelle, and also into a core engine. The air in the core engine flow passes through a compressor section, and then into a combustion section. In the combustion section the air is mixed with fuel and ignited, and products of this combustion pass downstream over turbine rotors.
There are many challenges in the design of a gas turbine engine. One challenge occurs at startup. There is typically a large load on the compressor as it begins rotating at startup. Thus, it is known to have a bleed valve in place that opens to allow the partially compressed air to be dumped out of the compressor section. In many engines, there are a plurality of these bleed valves.
It is also known to provide a nacelle anti-icing system. The nacelle anti-icing system typically will tap hot air from the compressor section, and selectively deliver it to the lip of the nacelle to provide anti-icing at the lip of the nacelle. This anti-icing function is performed selectively, and is not necessary during much of the operation of a gas turbine engine on an aircraft. However, when conditions indicate that there may be icing at the lip of the nacelle, the valve may be opened to deliver the hot air to that location.
In the prior art, the use of plural compressor stability bleed valves increases the complexity of the system. Further, should one of these bleed valves fail, air would be continuously bled from the compressor section. This would be undesirable, as the efficiency of the engine would be reduced and the hot air could damage other components positioned in the core.